Present day power mowers can be powered either by a 4-cycle gasoline engine or a 2-cycle gasoline engine for providing power to drive a cutting blade of either the rotary or reel type. Other power mowers have an electric motor that drives a cutting blade of either type the rotary or reel type. Such electric motor powered mowers have the power supply provided to the motor through an extensible cord which connects to a standard domestic power supply.
The use of gasoline engine constitutes a substantial source of air pollution which in time could become regulated by the E.P.A. as are larger engines for powering automobiles and other motor vehicles. The alternative to such gasoline engines is a cord type electric motor driven mower. Such mowers, however, are not as mobile as gasoline engine mowers in that they must be connected to a power supply by a cord during their operation. Such power cords are susceptible to being cut by the blade to produce exposed power leads. Additionally, while not a direct polluter, such electric powered mowers are powered from a central power plant which, if fossil fuel fired, can be a significant source of pollutants unless suitable waste recovery systems are incorporated in the central system.